Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Moderate Preterm Infants.

Jayasree Nair,Satyan Lakshminrusimha,Rachel Longendyke

doi:10.1155/2018/4126245

Abstract

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a devastating morbidity usually seen in preterm infants, with extremely preterm neonates (EPT ≤28 weeks) considered at highest risk. Moderately preterm infants (MPT 28–34 weeks) constitute a large percentage of NICU admissions. In our retrospective data analysis of NEC in a single regional perinatal center, NEC was observed in 10% of extremely EPT and 7% of MPT, but only 0.7% of late-preterm/term admissions. There was an inverse relationship between postnatal age at onset of NEC and gestational age at birth. Among MPT infants with NEC, maternal hypertensive disorders (29%) and small for gestational age (SGA-15%) were more common than in EPT infants (11.6 and 4.6%, resp.). Congenital gastrointestinal anomalies were common among late preterm/term infants with NEC. SGA MPT infants born to mothers with hypertensive disorders are particularly at risk and should be closely monitored for signs of NEC. Identifying risk factors specific to each gestational age may help clinicians to tailor interventions to prevent NEC.

Highlights

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is an acute inflammatory necrosis of the bowel that primarily affects preterm infants and remains a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in neonatal intensive care units (NICU)
Most studies have focused on NEC in extremely preterm (EPT) infants
There was an inverse relationship noted with postnatal age at presentation of NEC in relation to GA at birth (Figure 1), and most of the infants in our study group presented at an average GA of 29-33 weeks

Summary

Introduction

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is an acute inflammatory necrosis of the bowel that primarily affects preterm infants and remains a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in neonatal intensive care units (NICU). While NEC has been recognized as a morbidity in mostly extremely preterm (EPT) neonates, a similar clinical condition occurs in term infants as well. Most studies have focused on NEC in EPT infants

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